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May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
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May 21, 2012
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Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
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Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
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Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
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Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
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The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
April 26, 2007
/ 8 Iyar 5767
Being No. 1 is over-rated
By
Lloyd Garver
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
I was saddened to learn last week that the National Cheerleading Championship team, Wichita State University, was disqualified, thereby losing its title as "National Champion." It was discovered that they cheated by using a cheerleader who was not enrolled in the University. It upset me not because I follow cheerleading competitions I didn't even know there was a national champion. No, it bothered me because it was one more example of the lengths people will go to so they may be declared "No. 1" or "the best."
I'm tired of hearing about politicians, business leaders, writers, and students who cheat in their pursuit of winning or being declared "the best" at something. And now cheerleaders are cheating? What's next? Are infants going to fake burping just to get all the praise?
I'm not against ambition. I think it's a good thing for all of us to try to be the best person we can be. But that's different from having a need to be better than everyone else.
Some people don't care what they're the best at as long as they're the best at something. This explains many of the entries in the "Guinness Record" book like the "Most Live Rattlesnakes Held In The Mouth," "The World's Longest Fingernails," and "The Fastest Sandwich Made By Feet."
Some people also have to surround themselves with "the best" things. You'll hear them say their kids go to "the best school," they live in "the best house" in "the best neighborhood." We hear people claim they have "the best doctor." I don't remember there being a "Medical Olympics" in which doctors compete by performing surgeries, delivering babies, and convincingly telling worried patients, "I had the same thing, it's nothing, and it'll go away." So, how do they know that theirs is the best doctor?
Telling themselves that they have the best doctor, the best lawyer, the best car, the best lawn, the best kids, the best spouse, and the best sunscreen obviously makes some people feel better and more secure. But it's sad that this need exists.
Many of us are taught at a very young age that "good isn't good enough." The implication is that everyone should try to be No. 1. Of course, it's impossible for everybody to be No. 1, but sometimes parents, teachers, and coaches don't tell kids this.
So, what happens when kids or adults realize that they just might not be the best at something? Too often, they feel like failures, or they cheat or both.
People seem to have forgotten that it's more important to do your best than to be the best.
Should we have less admiration for the kid who works really hard and gets all B's and C's than for the kid who doesn't have to work at all and gets all A's? I don't think so.
It's the process that should be celebrated and enjoyed at least as much as the result.
Phrases like "winning is everything" and "keep your eye on the prize" miss the point about the joys of pursuit and competition. I'll bet when those cheerleaders first started jumping and tumbling and holding each other in the air with one hand it was pure fun and they weren't focused on being No. 1.
Often champion athletes will talk about their winning season. Their struggles, their wins, their losses, their grueling practices, and the camaraderie that developed among the teammates are as important to them as that trophy they got at the end of the season. Those lessons they learned all season long will last a lifetime. That trophy will be tarnished by next year.
I love to write. If I happen to write something good and other people like it, or maybe even get some acclaim for it, well, that's the cherry on top of the sundae. But the sundae tastes awfully good even without the cherry.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Lloyd Garver has written for many television shows, ranging from "Sesame
Street" to "Family Ties" to "Frasier." He has also read many books, some of
them in hardcover. Comment by clicking here. Visit his website by clicking here.
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© 2006, Lloyd Garver
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